Community hero cares for injured wombats
The kangaroo and emu might grace Australia’s coat of arms, but it was a lesser-known and more unassuming animal that piqued John Creighton’s interest when he migrated from the US to the NSW Southern Highlands 25 years ago.
“We moved to Bundanoon in the year 2000, and I remember the wombats were running around the neighbourhood. I found them fascinating and I wanted to learn everything I could,” John says.
Noticing that wombats were often the victim of road trauma, disease and even shootings, the former teacher and school counsellor joined a wildlife rescue group in 2010 and studied these charming marsupials.
Despite the tireless work of WIRES and other organisations, John identified gaps in the system, particularly in treating wombat mange – a condition where mites burrow under their skin, causing intense itching, hair loss, crusty skin and possibly death. It led John to founding Wombat Care Bundanoon in 2016.
“When it came to mange in particular, there was nothing being done. It was deemed too hard, there was no support for it and it was ugly work.
“We were among the first to use some of the newer medications, so when Bravecto came out, the vets put it in my hands. It doesn’t cure mange forever, it just cures that cycle of mange – a bit like head lice.”
John has treated thousands of wombats since founding Wombat Care. The Southern Highlands community has rallied around him, helping fund the expensive medication and the costs involved with his work.
When bushfires ravaged the Southern Highlands in 2019 and early 2020, John and a group of volunteers helped spread about $20,000 in animal feed across the bush in the impacted villages of Wingello and Penrose.
“It was a hugely busy time and to be honest it hasn’t stopped since,” he says. “We still deal with the roadkill and the road-wounded, the mange-affected wombats and the ones affected by the recent rain.
“There are all these sides to a wombat that you don’t see. We’re still dealing with people that will illegally shoot them – and I don’t attack people for that – but I like to offer solutions if a wombat is digging under your house or making a mess of your property.”
John’s work has now culminated in the formation of the Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary, a registered charity treating all wild creatures great and small. As well as on-the-ground care, the sanctuary will soon begin hosting classes and seminars on wildlife management, care, and awareness. General supplies and tax-deductable donations are warmly encouraged, according to John.
“I started with Wombat Care Bundanoon, but it’s broader now and it brings in broader connections,” he explains. “I never intended for it to grow into this, but it has been hugely rewarding and has helped not only the animals, but me and many other people along the way.”
